Chapter 56: Worldly Knowledge

What Lu Yan had taken out was none other than the Sunstone he had obtained from the apocalypse version.

He wasn’t entirely sure of the Sunstone’s origin. The three he possessed were acquired from scavengers in that world and were condensed from the purest Great Sun Spiritual Qi—a true natural treasure.

Back when Lu Yan broke through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, he had already sensed the extraordinary effects of Great Sun Spiritual Qi. It had helped him purify his spiritual energy, playing a vital role in his smooth advancement.

Without that help, given the pill toxins he had accumulated over the past few months, his breakthrough would’ve been anything but easy.

So when Ji Xingyao mentioned that her foundation had been damaged due to absorbing filthy spiritual energy, Lu Yan immediately thought of the Sunstone, forged from the very essence of Great Sun Spiritual Qi.

It was the perfect remedy—able to purify spiritual power without any side effects, being pure Heavenly Spiritual Qi by nature. There could be no better cure for her condition.

Originally, Lu Yan had planned to save the Sunstone and use it as a bargaining chip at the right time to earn Ji Xingyao’s favor.

But who could have expected Ji Xingyao, realizing her Dao path was hopeless, would resolve to throw everything away and challenge all the inner sect true disciples to life-and-death duels under the pretense of punishing Xie Yun?

That had truly startled Lu Yan.

If Ji Xingyao actually went through with it—regardless of whether it was technically within sect rules—it would inevitably trigger endless political entanglements.

After all, how many true disciples didn’t have some powerful force backing them?

Even in her prime, Ji Xingyao might not have withstood the combined pressure of all those factions. And now?

If things spiraled out of control, the very golden thigh Lu Yan had just grabbed onto would become a taboo name everyone avoided.

In order to prevent disaster, Lu Yan decisively presented the Sunstone, hoping to offer Ji Xingyao a shred of hope.

If she could restore her corrupted foundation, then she might still have a shot at reaching the Golden Core Realm—and would no longer need to gamble everything on a deadly confrontation.

——

Dozens of miles away, at the moment when Ji Xingyao’s sword intent seed exploded, Xie Yun felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. A Foundation Establishment cultivator like him actually plummeted from the air.

Now lying miserably in a forest, Xie Yun was a far cry from the arrogant figure who had strutted through Green Valley Market earlier. Fear had consumed him completely.

He had only entered the Foundation Establishment Realm last year, missing Ji Xingyao’s peak. What he knew of her reputation came from the stories of his seniors.

During this operation, a few senior true disciples made him grand promises. However, the older and more experienced among them had shown visible hesitation when the plan was brought up—something Xie Yun had scorned at the time.

Confidently, he took on the task himself and treated Ji Xingyao, now considered a “has-been,” with utmost caution. His escape strategy was ready the moment things went south.

But what he hadn’t expected was that Ji Xingyao could lock onto him from dozens of miles away, and he couldn’t even tell how she had done it.

The only thing he could be grateful for… was that the terrifying sword intent had merely marked him—it hadn’t yet struck.

Now, all he could do was sit there and wait for Ji Xingyao’s judgment.

——

Back at Green Valley Market’s cave district, Ji Xingyao had already forgotten about Xie Yun. Her attention was now fully on the rhomboid gemstone in her hands.

With the acute spiritual senses of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, she could clearly feel the scorching aura surging within the gem, as if it had been born from the sun itself.

As a true disciple of the Clear Sun Sect, Ji Xingyao had seen many rare treasures in her time, but she had never encountered spiritual energy like this before.

“This Sunstone is formed from condensed Great Sun Spiritual Qi,” Lu Yan explained. “Absorbing its energy can purify your spiritual power and make it more refined.

However, due to the extreme heat, it’s best to mix it with a large amount of spiritual qi. Direct absorption may burn the meridians—”

Before he could finish, Ji Xingyao’s eyes sharpened—and she immediately began drawing the energy from the Sunstone.

The orange rhomboid crystal dimmed visibly in an instant.

The spiritual power around Ji Xingyao surged violently. Lu Yan felt like he was standing before a volcanic eruption, with scorching heat radiating straight toward him.

——

As Ji Xingyao absorbed the Great Sun Spiritual Qi, her perception became even clearer.

She could distinctly feel that the moment the fiery essence entered her body, it was like swallowing a miniature sun.

That blazing heat scorched away the corrupted power lingering in her meridians. Wisps of gray-black spiritual energy were incinerated one by one under the radiant fire.

Sweat soaked through her robes and clung tightly to her graceful figure, but she had no time to care.

“…Do you have more?”

Ji Xingyao asked Lu Yan with urgency.

Without hesitation, Lu Yan took out the remaining two Sunstones and handed them to her.

“These are the last ones I have.”

Ji Xingyao accepted them. With a flick of her wrist, she removed her veil, revealing her cold and aloof features.

Then she sat cross-legged on the spot, beginning to cultivate immediately.

The Sunstones in her hands dimmed rapidly as the immense Great Sun Spiritual Qi washed through her meridians like a surging river.

The furnace of the sun blazed to its peak.

And Ji Xingyao… tempered herself in that very fire.

Lu Yan, the only observer, calmly watched her cultivation.

If it had been anyone else, witnessing the aloof and beautiful Sword Fairy, now fully drenched and revealing her face, they would’ve been distracted beyond saving.

But Lu Yan was completely unmoved. His focus was solely on monitoring Ji Xingyao’s aura and internal changes.

This had nothing to do with being a gentleman. It was simply that he had already seen plenty of Ji Xingyao in the modern version.

Back when she was a famous online influencer, Ji Xingyao had shot countless pictorials.

By the internet’s standards, her photos were actually rather modest—at most some black stockings, maid outfits, or evening gowns.

But in the cultivation world, that kind of attire would’ve gotten her branded as a demonic temptress.

He’d seen it all before—so this scene now didn’t stir him one bit. Instead, he carefully took mental notes of the spiritual changes, treating it as a valuable reference for using Sunstones in the future.

——

This cultivation session lasted for half an hour.

When Ji Xingyao slowly opened her eyes again, she felt as if a heavy shackle had been removed. Her body and mind were filled with a sense of freedom she hadn’t felt in years.

Inspecting her condition inwardly, she could see that although the corruption in her spiritual power was still severe, it was far better than before.

A full one-fifth of her corrupted spiritual energy had been cleansed and restored to pristine condition by the Great Sun Spiritual Qi.

What’s more, it had become even purer than at her peak, approaching a semi-solid state—already bordering the level needed to condense a Golden Core.

If she could purify the remaining four-fifths the same way, Ji Xingyao was confident she could form a Golden Core even without the help of the Five Element Core-Forging Pill.

She slowly rose, forming a hand seal that swept away the sweat and grime from her body. Her elegant and lofty demeanor returned once again.

Noticing the calm and untainted look in Lu Yan’s eyes, Ji Xingyao’s gaze grew even more approving.

“The Sunstone is greatly helpful in refining my spiritual power,” she said. “I want to know… where exactly did this kind of heavenly treasure come from?”

(End of Chapter)